Real Madrid’s resurgent
La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home to struggling
Girona on Sunday in which
Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders
Barcelona.
Real looked on course for a sixth consecutive league win when Casemiro leapt highest to meet a Toni Kroos cross and head them in front midway through the first half.
But Girona, who had not won in the league since November, came out with a vengeance in the second half, levelling in the 65th minute with a Cristhian Stuani penalty after a handball by Ramos, the Real captain.
Portu then gave Girona an unlikely lead 10 minutes later, nipping in front of Madrid’s lacklustre defender Marcelo to nod in on the rebound after Thibaut Courtois could only parry a shot from Anthony Lozano.
The Madrid substitutes Gareth Bale and Vinícius Júnior each squandered opportunities to level for the European champions and things got worse when Ramos earned a second yellow card in added time and was sent off for the 25th time in club
football.
Courtois left his goal in search of an equaliser and came close to salvaging a point but headed wide deep in stoppage time, leaving Real third in the standings on 45 points, nine behind Barcelona and two behind second-placed Atlético Madrid, who both won 1-0 on Saturday.